HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1412        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2766

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Denise Provost

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to sleep deprivation avoidance and promotion of good sleeping practices.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/16/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019

Patrick Joseph Kearney

4th Plymouth

2/1/2019

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

1/29/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1412        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2766

By Ms. Provost of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2766) of Denise Provost and others for the annual issuance of a proclamation by the Governor setting apart the second week of March as Massachusetts sleep awareness week.  State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1700 OF 2017-2018.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act relative to sleep deprivation avoidance and promotion of good sleeping practices.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof, the following new sections:

Section 15 CCCCCC. The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the second week of March as Massachusetts Sleep Awareness Week, and the Sunday at the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, so called as Massachusetts Sleep Awareness Day and recommending that such week be properly observed as a period of special attention to the problems of sleep deprivation and fatigue such as: impaired reaction time, judgment and vision; problems with information processing and short-term memory; decreased performance, vigilance and motivation; increased moodiness and aggressive behaviors; and, especially, the dangers of driving under the influence of sleep deprivation or fatigue. To this end, the agencies of the Commonwealth as well as private organizations, especially those interested in education, transportation, public health, and public safety, shall adopt policies and programs consistent with the goals of: (1) increasing public awareness about sleep, sleep disorders, and consequences of sleep deprivation; (2) promoting science-based public policies that improve the sleep health of the nation; (3) advancing basic, clinical, applied, and population-based research; and promoting recognition of and access to care for all individuals with sleep disorders.

Section 15 DDDDDD. The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the second week of November as Massachusetts Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and recommending that such week be properly observed as a period of special attention to the need for public awareness and action relative to the problems of drowsy driving and driver fatigue. For purposes of this section “drowsy driving” or “driver fatigue” shall mean driving while being “sleepy,” “tired,” “drowsy,” or “exhausted.”